page 1 multi map. com online maps to everywhere! geocoding – what is it? the global datastore from...

multimap.comOnline Maps to Everywhere!

Geocoding – What is it?

The Global Datastore from Global Address enables the assignment of geographical coordinates - called geocodes - to international addresses.

The geocodes can be used for applications such as the following:

to calculate the distance between two points for route planning.

for location-based searches such as ‘Find my Nearest’ .

for customer location mapping, which enables better customer analysis and more focused sales and marketing campaigns.

(definition from http://www.globaladdress.net/?pn=geocodes)


Why we need it!

The most important search item for a traveler is:

Location!


Believe

Don’t Stop Believing!


How we get it?

Submit the hotel address from RoomMaster to a geocoding engine.

Accept updates from hotel suppliers.

Search supplier websites for property maps and attempt to determine lat/long based on display.


Where can we geocode?

Currently, we can geocode in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Western Europe by submitting an address to a geocoding engine.

The rest of the world must be done manually, by selecting a position on a map of where you might “think” the property is located.

Many times the maps are hard to read and difficult to understand the street names.


Geocoding and why we need it!

RoomMaster is reliant on Geocoding to present hotels in their appropriately assigned Distance Bucket!

Travel agents expect accurate information from the GDS’.

Travel agents need to find hotels nearest to where their customers are traveling.

Many web services are unable to present hotels that are not assigned geocodes.

Hotels in countries outside the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand cannot convert an address to a lat/long.


Non – Geocoded Properties (Distance/Direction in parenthesis)

Non-Geocoded hotels are still displayed to travel agents, however, the distance and direction is not calculated, but is entered manually when the property is created.


Non-Geocoded Distance & Direction is all over the place!

The distance & direction for these hotels in Cancun is very misleading. Distance should be from the point of reference to the property. In many cases the direction is entered incorrectly, causing inaccuate displays.


Geocoded Displays

Hotels in the U.S. have most all been geocoded, so we don’t have the issues we have internationally. All distance and direction displays are calculated based on the lat/long assigned the hotel and the lat/long assigned (in this case) New York City.


Reference Points

Reference Points and Suburbs are very important search items used by travel agents and non-travel agents, alike. People want to stay near to where they are traveling. It is very important that reference points, such as these, below, are added to the Directory.

Universities and Colleges Transportation Terminals

Convention Centers Business Centers or Major Corporate Headquarters

Hospitals and Clinics Sports Stadiums

Nationally recognized stores and malls. (Mall of America, Woodfield, etc.) Not strip malls or local malls.

Nationally recognized buildings or monuments

Ski Resorts Military Bases

Nationally recognized galleries and museums


Suburban Cities

Any suburban city that has a hotel in it should be a reference point in the system. We are reliant on you to provide those to us.

When a property is created in RoomMaster the Directory should be queried to ensure the city is in the system. If it is not, the probability the hotels will be displayed and sold is diminished.

Below is an example of a hotel that, unless processed manually may not show up on the appropriate screens:

HENRYVILLE INNABE CITY NAME: ABE570-620-2150RURAL RTE 1@HENRYVILLE@PA@US@18332@

There is nothing wrong with the way this address is entered into the system. The problem is that Rural Route 1 is not sufficient to pass the geocoding engines. Manual intervention is required!


Suburb not in System

When a suburb is not found in the Galileo Directory there is nothing to reference the hotel to. This property, in Henryville, PA. may never be shown as a candidate for sale.

The address is not sufficient for geocoding so it will not be automatically connected to any other references, either.


Check RoomMaster Directory

A search for Henryville shows it is not included in the Directory. A request to add the suburb can be submitted on the Supplier Services website:

http://support.galileo.com/SGC/suppliersvcs/htlsecure/Geocoding/subupdates.htm


After we Add it


After we Geocode the Hotel

The Henryville Inn is now displaying when an agency searches for a hotel using Henryville, as their search criteria!


How Multimap will Help

In order forthis to bemore clearI will nowshow youa live demo.


What are we doing about it?

As discussed in our previous Concierge Live session on this topic, Galileo needs to supply you with a tool to help determine the location of these hotels that cannot be geocoded via their address.

This problem has only become more and more visible as time goes on, and more developed sites are dependant on this information. We have signed an agreement with Multimap to help us solve this problem.

Geoff Innis, from Multimap, will discuss the technical interface of the product.

multimap.com

11th October 2007

&

Partnership

Multimap Inc

31 St James Ave, Ste 850

Boston, MA 02116


Multimap & Galileo Partnership


Challenge to be Addressed

NEED: Accurate knowledge of Car Rental and Hotel Locations required

Why?

Correctly Presenting Locations on Maps

Accurate Proximity Searching for Locations

Accurate Driving Directions to Locations

Current Issues

Address Data Collected may not be Accurate

Central Galileo Administrators do not have ‘Local Knowledge’

Result: Inaccurate location data for many Locations


SRC Process Flow

Galileo Admin

Galileo Location Database

Brand and Local Admins

1. Galileo Administrator delegates Hotel and Car Rental Locations to Brand Administrators and Local Administrators

2. Brand Administrators and Hoteliers use local expertise to review and correct location data

Consumers

Internal & PublicApplications

3. Consumers of internal and public facing applications benefit from accurate location data.


SRC in Action: Galileo Loads Data

Galileo Central Administrator accesses Client Zone, Multimap’s secure client extranet, and loads location data.


SRC in Action: Locations are GeocodedA) Galileo Central Administrator accesses Client Zone, Multimap’s secure client extranet, and loads location data.

B) Locations are ‘Geocoded’ – addresses are turned into Latitude / Longitude coordinates


SRC in Action: Galileo Initiates SRC Session

Communication is sent by e-mail to recipients

Galileo Central Administrator delegates records to Brand Administrators and Local Administrators


SRC in Action: E-mails received

Brand Administrators or Local Administrators receive Invitation & Login details for SRC


SRC in Action: Review and Update Locations

Brand Administrators or Local Administrators review locations delegated to them

Individual Locations can be viewed:•Pan and Zoom around Local Map•Point and Click to set correct Location

A URL is provided, which can be emailed to people who Administrators wish to enlist to provide them with local knowledge of the property’s location.


SRC in Action: Confirming Updates

Updates can be reviewed and confirmed

Updates are sent to Galileo Administrator


SRC in Action: Galileo Reviews and Accepts

Galileo Administrator receives updates

Individual updates can be reviewed if desired, with changes highlighted.


SRC in Action: Corrected Data Retrieved

SRC session Ended by Galileo

Updated Location Data retrieved and merged into Galileo Database.


EMAIL!!

We NEED email addresses for whoever you want to be responsible for the location of your

properties!

1 Email Address only!

Populate the Property Keyword:

WWWE with that information.


SummaryQ & A


Thank you

page 1 multi map. com online maps to everywhere! geocoding – what is it? the global datastore from...

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